The Ziggurat in context

Jim Jordan · 31 Jan 2000, 16:22 · from urth-v0028.mbox · original

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From: Jim Jordan <jbjordan at gnt.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) The Ziggurat in context
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 16:22:32
Message-ID: <urth-v0028-0763 at digest.urth.net>
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At 12:34 PM 1/31/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Nutria, I'm afraid I'll have to delay my detailed take
>on "The Ziggurat" until I've finished another, rather
>vexatious critical chore; but you're quite right that
>my ST review will only appear in print some time off
>(in FOUNDATION), so here's a general comment. It seems
>to me that the stories in ST were selected with a
>theme in common, that of escape. The world must be
>escaped or transcended; but the escape routes are
>many, and only one (the route to Heaven) is a true
>path. The rest are snares, roads to damnation and
>disaster. Emory's route is one such: self-indulgence,
>an impulse to dominate. It may make him feel in charge
>of his destiny for a while, but read in comparison
>with the trends of the other stories, it won't lead
>anywhere good.

Mebbe. I'll need more to be convinced. I accept your overall assessment of
the book as a collection. Maybe I should take the link between "taming" and
"Tamar" more negatively, as a further example of male chauvinism instead of
as a step in the right direction. Hmmm. That would not push me into any of
the extremely negative interpretations we've discussed here, but would
indicate a sadder ending than I'd originally read. Any thots, Alga?

Nutria


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